Matters of the Heart Part III

Mussar 101

This post is rather long,
but I do hope you'll take the time to finish it.
This topic is very close to my lev (heart)!

How do we prepare and practice in order to pass the myriad of life’s tests for our souls?

I ended Part II of Matters of the Heart with the above question. In this post, I will attempt to answer it. The battlefield may be in the mind (lev), but unless our minds are renewed, we are doomed to make the wrong choice again and again. Sadly, many of us are only aware of one way of doing things, one way of feeling, and one way of responding when our Father presents us with a test. Thus, we often find ourselves in similar situations and circumstances making the same mistakes in every relationship we have. And worse, because of our narrow mindedness, we blame these patterns on anything and everything — except for our own choices, behaviors, and attitudes. It’s always someone else’s fault that I’m this way or that I acted this way or that I said what I did.

While it may be true that someone else provoked you or that they really don’t do what they should be doing, you have control and authority over one thing: yourself. You are not responsible for the behavior, attitude, or short-comings of any other soul besides yourself. (Obviously, child rearing is another story not covered here.)You do not control your circumstances or other people.

So, the real issue is YOU and your heart. In Part II, I mentioned the idea that we have “two” hearts or what the rabbis call the good and evil inclination. Christians may refer to this dichotomy as the battle between the spirit and the flesh. But the latter view often demonizes the flesh, which is NOT exactly accurate. True balance is found when our spirit man rules the older beastly/fleshly nature. Remember the advantage a man has in working the field with a trained beast? There is much POWER and DIRECTION (purpose) found in ruling the nephesh, beast, flesh, or evil inclination.

“He who has not yet ruled over his evil inclination is like one lost along the paths [of the maze] unable to differentiate between them.” – The Path of the Just, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

In the DreamWorks production How to Train Your Dragon, a dragon, Toothless, and young Viking, Hiccup, are the protagonists. This unlikely duo discovers that warring against each other does nothing to conquer the real enemy: the great dragon that has enslaved them all. I cannot help but to see this story as a parable for real life. Like Hiccup, we have a real dragon or beast/nephesh. He is NOT our enemy. With a little training or taming, we can achieve great heights together! And best of all, when we harmonize this relationship, we are equipped to truly fight the real enemy of our souls, the great dragon — that serpent of old (Rev. 12:9).

So, how do we TRAIN our personal dragon, or beast/nephesh? Obviously, the first step is to submit ourselves over to the King of kings. But then what? Does YHWH automatically give us a new heart (levav)? Based on my personal experience and the testimony I see in the lives of every believer I’ve ever met, the answer is yes…and no. God can certainly change and renew our hearts to serve Him, but that doesn’t imply that we have no choice after this initial change. Freewill isn’t tossed out the window once we place the blood of the Lamb on our doorposts. Sinai is still there, giving us the instructions of life. And like the Israelites’ of old, we will be tested in the wilderness. Even after the advent of Yeshua, we are daily offered the choice of life or death.

I believe that each day presents a multitude of opportunity for us to choose. The good news is that if you do have a personal relationship with the Creator, every tool you need to choose life is at your disposal. The problem is that many of us that have this relationship have no idea how to use a power tool or even where they are kept. This is where the Jewish practice of mussar has helped me the most.[1] It’s as if someone finally turned a light on in the garage and I can now see the toolbox and blueprints to build (character) more clearly.

How to Train Your Dragon… Beast

Do you remember Pharaoh’s hard heart that we discussed in Part I? I believe the converse of this pattern is also true. First Pharaoh hardened his own heart, which led to YHWH eventually handing him over to his own (wicked) desires. If this is true, could it also be said that if we continue to submit and humble our hearts toward YHWH that He will strengthen that choice? I believe He does; and we will explore this notion by reading some of Paul’s writings in a bit.

Php. 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Indeed, God can strengthen us in a positive way just as He strengthened Pharaoh in a negative way.[2] The determining factor, it seems, is the state of our heart. By continuing in sin, we become strengthened to sin more. By continuing to practice righteousness, we are strengthened to act with more righteousness.

Rom. 6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

Believe it or not, this understanding is not lost on the rabbis. The whole of Jewish ethics is based in this principle. Mussar, which literally means “correction”, is about holding your own soul/nephesh/heart accountable to God. Mussar requires both thought and action. It is a meditation and a practice. The entire process is meant to be the study guide to help you pass the many exams of life. If this sounds too mystical or too Jewish for you, please at least finish reading before you throw the baby out with the bath water.

King Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs in order to teach his son (and us) mussar; and thus, we see this Hebrew word most often in this book.

Pro. 1:3-5 To receive instruction (Mussar) in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; (4) To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, (5) A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

Notice that our correction or instruction (mussar) is for the purpose of wise behavior. Solomon goes on to say that it is only fools that reject such instruction/mussar.

Pro. 1:6-7 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. (7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction (mussar).

Mussar, therefore, is meant to instruct, correct, and in some cases even reprove our walk. I don’t know about you, but I can certainly use all the help I can get. Long before the Jewish Sages developed the practice of mussar, King Solomon, the wisest man on earth, was teaching this method. If you look closely, you will see that Yeshua and even the Apostle Paul encouraged us to practice mussar. (We will look at an example from Paul’s writings later in this post.)

Jewish Mussar can be very simply defined as a spiritual practice that enables one to refine one’s character traits, allowing us to transform ourselves, to move toward wholeness, to realize our highest spiritual potential and to live everyday life with happiness, trust and love.[3]

There are essentially three stages to “practicing” mussar. I say “practice” because this easy and non-time consuming method is meant to prepare you for life’s exams. How can we pass the test unless we study for it? So, think of mussar as the study guide you’ve been missing all these years. Mussar isn’t about doctrine, tradition, or the like. You won’t find your faith in Yeshua challenged or lessened by doing Mussar. In fact, you’ll find yourself drawing closer as you become more like Him!

Mussar Stages

Stage 1: Sensitivity

Mussar begins with you being completely honest with yourself and the choices you make. In a sense, it’s becoming AWARE of who you are, what you say, what you do, and how you feel. Denial is the antithesis to sensitivity. This process will require you to really open yourself up to the gentle correction and revelation of the Holy Spirit. The more open you are to allow the truth of what’s in your heart to be revealed, the more progress you’ll make towards shalom. Thus, repenting for what HaShem shows you is vital. This leads to stage two, which incidentally, is the next step in repentance.

Stage 2: Self- Restraint

Once you become aware of your own choices, attitudes, feelings, and actions, and have repented for those that are incorrect, you must make a conscious effort to stop the wrong behavior. Teshuvah (repentance) means “to turn” away from the bad activity. This is not always easy — don’t give up! Mussar would also have you recognize those actions, feelings, and behaviors that are good and godly in order to continue their growth.

Stage 3: Transformation

The more we practice the two stages above, we gradually change or “renew our minds”. As you will soon discover, the traits we focus on are from the Word and it really does have transformative power! You will find yourself in yet another repetitive situation and for the first time —- you will know how to respond appropriately and godly! It’s as if door number two has been there all along, you just couldn’t “see” it in order to make a better choice. Now, door number two is clearly seen and you have made the first step toward overcoming in that area in which you struggle.

Does this sound too good to be true? I thought so too until I started practicing mussar. It is worth pointing out that mussar is a little different for each us. This is because we do not all share the same struggles. For example, you might not have any issue with being generous (one of your good traits), whereas your neighbor may have a tendency toward being stingy. Thus, we each will have our own personal “soul” curriculum to work on. Stage one, sensitivity, should help you to discern where you lack and where you excel. And sometimes, we “think” we excel in an area, and only later discover that there was still much room for improvement.

Keep an Accounting

We begin mussar practice by keeping an “accounting of the soul” (Chesbon HaNephesh) diary or journal for a week or two. It’s simple. Every night for a week, record (it doesn’t have to be lengthy) the instances in your day where you believe your lower self (beast/nephesh/flesh) had the upper hand. Be specific. It can be anything from over eating to doing or saying something you should or shouldn’t have. For example, did you find yourself behind Ms. Slowpoke with three carts at the grocery store? Did bad thoughts cross your mind? Write them down. What about traffic? Any road rage today? What about a stranger asking for money? Did you open or close your hand? Why? Did you lose your temper with your spouse or child? Did you look upon someone and judge them for what they wore or didn’t wear? Did you lust after or covet something that wasn’t yours? Be honest. No one will see your journal but you and God.

The areas that you need to work on can be narrowed down into one word. For example, you may find that you have a pattern of impatience. Lacking patience quickly ignites ungodly anger and rage. This area of your life is out of balance. In a word, the trait you need to improve is patience. Perhaps you are highly critical of other people. It matters not how they’ve behaved. By criticizing them (even in your mind), you are making an unrighteous judgment that is fueled by a lack of honor and respect for a being created in the image of God. The trait you must work on is honor. (It may be very difficult to see the “good” or “holiness” in a person that lives contrary to the Word, but Yeshua died for them too. Thus, the point isn’t to overlook or condone their bad behavior, but for you to realize that they too were created in the image of God. The practice isn’t about them, it’s about you. Can you honor them … anyway?)

This type of journaling will reveal PATTERNS in your life and areas that need to be corrected (mussar). For years now, my family has been doing this in mini fashion in preparation for Yom Kippur. An accounting of the soul[4] chart is what my family uses before we perform the tashlich service. Until rather recently, I had no idea that this accounting was part of mussar work! But, repentance and accounting should occur more than once a year, right? Start a mussar journal and you’ll find that YHWH can speak to you in your own handwriting! This isn’t mystical. In being transparent and honest with yourself, you are in effect being open and honest with the Creator and He strengthens your heart to dive deeper and be that overcomer you desire to be.

Soul Traits (Middot)

Once you’ve discovered the traits (areas) that you need to improve, you will spend one week practicing or focusing on each one. If you have a hard time making or discerning your list (curriculum), you can use a preformed chart with traits already listed. Most mussar programs recommend starting with thirteen or eighteen traits. A list of thirteen would take you through each trait four times in a year.

It is vital to meditate upon and learn more about each of your soul traits. You cannot improve if you do not understand what it is that is the problem. This is where a good mussar book or an online program comes in handy. My favorite book is Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis. If you can’t spare any money, you can go through a free online course in order to get the hang of doing mussar. This program is also written by Mr. Morinis: http://www.jewishpathways.com/course/mussar-program

Reading about the trait you are working to improve is an exercise of your mind (lev). The Word of God is your best resource. If you are working on honor, do a concordance search for all the verses that speak to about honor. Read them in context and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal how you can act and think with holy honor. I also recommend that you read an article or two during this week about honor. Riverton Mussar has some excellent articles on many soul traits.

To help you focus throughout the days you are working on a particular trait, it is advisable to develop a phrase that will remind you of that trait. For example, for honor, Mr. Morinis suggests thinking “each one, a holy soul” to encourage us to honor our fellowman. He also recommends finding another person to practice mussar with in order to go deeper. Accountability is always helpful and so is another person’s insight. We can learn much from one another. (This doesn’t mean you have to reveal your personal journal.)

Mussar in a Nutshell

Work on one trait for a week. Throughout the week, read about your trait from Scripture and other resources.

Every morning meditate upon the phrase you’ve chosen for that trait. Pray and ask the Father to give you an opportunity to exercise this muscle you’re trying develop. (Be prepared for this: like in exercise, your muscles/flesh may complain.)

At the end of the day, record your triumphs and failings in this area. Pray and ask the Father to help you improve.

This may seem too simple to warrant results. And I must admit that at first, I thought this was the case. However, that thought was quickly overruled when I was actually tested in an area I had “studied” for. Instead of reacting as I usually did, I was sensitive to my emotions and unhealthy soul patterns. Though its not what I wanted to do (nephesh), I chose differently and gained much better results! Moreover, I think it surprised the person I was dealing with and disarmed them from a normal escalation.

Remember, your mind (lev) can only choose differently when it is taught differently. A renewed mind/heart has been changed by steady diet of godly instruction. But like any test, you must study the areas where you lack knowledge and understanding in order to pass. Mussar guides you to these weak areas and builds up your awareness and knowledge.

Paul’s Mussar

I thought that it would be helpful to see a mussar example from the Brit Hadashah (N.T.). I’ve chosen to use the passage from a verse I quoted earlier. Let’s begin by looking at the context of the following verse.

Php. 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

The following passage is lengthy, but I urge you to read it in its entirety for the best perspective.

Php 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (5) Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (9) The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul is giving us some pretty awesome advice that is not unlike the practice of Mussar. Notice the bolded words above. Each is one is a middah or a “soul trait” that can be meditated upon and practiced in Mussar. I hardly believe this is coincidence. Best of all, Paul says that the shalom of God will guard our hearts and minds (levav) IF we do these things! The passage continues:

Php 4:10-13 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. (11) Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. (12) I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. (13) I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

It was in doing these things that Paul LEARNED to be content in all circumstances — good or bad. I want to know what Paul did. How exactly could he end this discourse with “I can do all things through Him that strengthens me”? We quote this last verse all the time, but I can’t help but to wonder if we are missing something important that is revealed before Paul arrives at this summation.

Going back to the beginning of these quotes from Philippians, let’s look at the things he tells us to DO so that the peace of God guards our hearts and minds (levav).

Dwell on these things. (vs. 8)

Practice these things. (vs. 9)

Hello? Does this not sound like mussar? Number one uses the Greek word logizomai (Strong’s G3049), which literally means to “to take an inventory”. The entire point of doing Mussar is to take (or give) an accounting of your soul. You are to do this (in part) by meditating upon godly attributes, characteristics, or qualities. The King James Version of verse 8 translates logizomai as “to think on”. We are to purposefully think upon godly attributes and weigh ourselves in that balance. Paul mentions these particular qualities:

Rejoice (This is akin to the common mussar trait of enthusiasm or zeal, vs. 4, notice that is repeated)

Gentleness (vs. 5)

Trust (inferred as the opposite of being anxious, vs.6 )

Thanksgiving (vs. 6)

Truth (vs. 8)

Honor (vs. 8)

Righteousness (vs. 8)

Purity (vs. 8)

Love (vs. 8)

Goodness (vs. 8)

Excellence (vs. 8)

Worthiness (vs. 8)

Generosity (inferred by “concern” for another, vs. 10)

I purposely drew out thirteen qualities from this passage because most mussar programs choose this number as a starting point to begin your work. Paul tells us to THINK upon these things and to PRACTICE these things. This is mussar; and the Biblical path to overcoming, contentment, and shalom.

The result will be none other than our hearts and minds being guarded by the peace of God. Moreover, it is the key, according to Paul, as to how he LEARNED to be content in ALL circumstances. If Paul had to LEARN these things, what makes us think that we don’t have to? How many of us would give just about anything for either one of these things?

“Mussar aims to help you close the gap between your ideals and the life you actually lead” –Alan Morinis

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I believe Mussar is the hidden power tool in our garden shed. The question is, are we willing to wield it?

[1] I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the fantastic Creation Gospel series as the springboard that led me to mussar in the first place. Dr. Alewine’s work is incomparable in its scope to treat and remedy the whole person in the glorious light of the Messiah and His Holy Spirit.

Thanks Barry! (:
Yes, it does much to help with inward reflection. By the way, I’m reading Johnathan Cohn’s new book, The Shemitah. I’m curious to see how it lines up with your offerings on Seven and Fifty blogspot. (http://sevenandfifty.blogspot.com/) We are very excited here about the fall feasts! L’shanah tovah to you and Audrey!

Wow. This teaching is so important. I have always struggled with the idea of “original sin” and the idea that man is truly and only evil at his core. This was engrained in my theology at a young age. Granted, I was taught that this evil nature could be overcome with the power of Christ. However, something seemed off about this demonizing of man’s core. In recent months, Holy Spirit has made me question this idea, that this was not the true story. It is a very controversial concept in my circle of connection. How would you respond to the idea of man being totally depraved? Do you have any tips for opening up civil and grace-filled conversation about this?

I want to continue to encourage you about what you are writing here. It is amazing to see that Papa (my affectionate term for God) has prepped me to receive your words of wisdom by putting these leanings in my heart already. I see a pattern of God telling His truth to many at the same time 🙂 So exciting!

Thanks for your inspiring comment! Being raised with a southern Calvinistic Baptist background, I too have struggled with the five points of Calvinism. (One being the total depravity of man and original sin.) There are so many places in Scripture that asks us to CHOOSE. (i.e. Dt. 30:10-16) The idea of TOTAL depravity means we have no choice but to remain a slave to sin and darkness. This isn’t what God told Cain or the children of Israel. Moreover, many people in the Bible are called righteous and blameless before YHWH. Reading about their lives reveals that they did indeed make mistakes (sin), but in the end, they had a heart of repentance and desired to be obedient to the Creator.

Jewish teachings obviously recognize the sin of Adam and Eve, but they don’t call it “original sin” or believe that people are born sinners. And we have to ask ourselves this question also. Are babies born “sinners”? Believing that they are is what prompted the Catholic Church to perform baby baptisms. Many protestant churches lean more toward the idea of an “age of accountability”, which I believe the Bible supports. But, if this is true, we cannot be “born” as sinners destined to hell.

One of the questions that has nagged me for a long time is this: If the U.S. justice system is “biblically” based (at least in part), where do we get the idea in judgment for a person to be “innocent until proven guilty”? I actually believe this idea is what the Torah teaches. We are innocent until we are proven guilty, not guilty until we are proven innocent. The doctrine of total depravity makes all of us guilty until we are proven innocent. This is something to ponder upon. When considering the Book of Life (BOL), nowhere does the Bible say that a person’s name was written in it. Instead, we are told of those like Moses’ speaking of having their name “blotted out” or erased. In other words, until you have been “judged” guilty, your name is in that book! This is just another testament that we are indeed innocent until proven guilty. This also speaks to the idea that God really does love every single person and that His desire is for every one of us come to Him. All the “whosoevers”. This also speaks against a point of Calvinism.

Having a grace filled conversation about this can be difficult. People don’t like their beliefs to be challenged. This is that nephesh side that we all possess. Perhaps, simply start by asking questions. I find that questions, asked in humility, do not incite people like statements do. A question causes us to search for the answer. And if the answer is something I disagree with, I might ask another question that will prod their mind to seek another perspective. For example, I may ask about where we get the idea of being innocent until proven guilty and if that concept is even biblical. And if it is biblical, how can total depravity also be true? If anything, the person(s) will have to go home and struggle with a seeming paradox. Hey, I still have many unanswered questions and quandaries that cause me to struggle with the Bible and my current “thinking”. And that I believe is the point. God wants us to struggle with Him as Jacob did. It is the basis for the new name he received: Israel.

Jewish belief says that within Adam and Eve before their mishap with the serpent, they had within them both a good and evil inclination. Otherwise, how could they have ever sinned in the first place? The “evil” inclination isn’t really evil, though it can lead us to sin. The evil inclination is our nephesh/flesh. It’s desires and instincts are not all bad, but they must be mastered. There’s nothing wrong with having a sex drive as long as it is fulfilled within the bounds of Torah. In fact, we’d be no earthly good without this “nature”. We must eat, sleep, procreate, drink, and so forth. But it is in these necessities of life that we also sin! Balance and boundaries or “taming” this side of ourselves is what is needed.

I’m a rambler, sorry. I hope this helps you. (: Also, I plan on writing much more about mussar in the future. It has truly changed my walk for the better. I’ll probably begin by writing about particular traits — thanks for the encouragement. If you can get a copy of Alan Morinis’ book, Everyday Holiness, you will not regret it!

Thank you for your posts. I couldn’t sleep tonight so I lay awake praying and the verse “Repairer of the Breach” popped into my mind. So at 2am I decided to get up and research it online and I landed upon your post on that topic and then ended up here. I have been blessed by the word of God given to you to share.

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